Draughtboard or checkerboard



June 23, 1936. E. J. BOLAND DRAUGHT BCARD 0R CHECKERBOARD Filed June 21,1 954 INVENTOR. PH B O L A N D.

ATTORNEYS.

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Patented June 23, 1936 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE 2,045,339 DRAUGHTBOARDon CHECKERBOAR-D Edward Joseph Boland, Cleveland, om Application June21, 1934,- Serial No. 731,666 2 Claims. (or. 273-131) This inventionrelates to improvements in a checker-board, and has for its object theprovision of four playing fields, whereon two players may playindividually, for-two groups individually, or persons paired aspartners.

One feature of the invention resides in that when the players areplaying individually on the board, they play on the fields at rightangles to each other and not on the aligned fields across from eachother.

- Another feature of the invention is that when four individuals playpaired as partners, they play in the right angled fields and not in thefields across from one another.'

A further feature of the invention consists in that the playing piecesor checkers are placed on the boardin a triangular formation with thebase of the respective triangles afironting the players, ascontra-distinguished from the rectangular placement of the playingpieces or checkers on a draught-board as in an ordinary game ofdraughts.

The playing field outline may be likened to a cross having its arms atright angles to each other, each arm having therewith a componentlikened in outline to a trapezoid. The boundary lines within the crossarms give each playing .field a sagittate configuration.

A further feature of the invention consists in that the playing piecesmay carry identifying indicia in the nature of sequentially arrangednumerals or numbers or otherwise, and the game may be played solely asin checkers, the objective being to score different results according toprecedence established when the game is started, and this result may beaccomplished by playing for the low numbered pieces on the board, or byplaying for the high numbered .pieces on the board, or by playing for adefinite computed number in which case it might be necessary to play aseries of games, or playing for the largest or smallest total obtainedat the end of a. game or games. The playing pieces may each carrysimilar indicia as to value, but this may be dispensed with. The indiciaon the pieces tends to prevent a game from becoming monotonous,

In order that this invention may be clearly understood, reference isalso to be made to the accompanying drawing which illustrates convenientplaying fields and which may be used by way of example, in which- Figurel is a plan view of a portable draughtboard, or checker-board, therespective fields being conventionally coloured for purposes ofidentification.

.the coloured hatchings shown Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of oneof the playing fields showing the playing pieces arranged thereon inplaying position previous to the opening play.

Figure 3 is aplan the same being marked in seriatim from 1 to 15.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views.

Referring to the drawing, A designates a portable draught-board orchecker board on which draughts or checkers may be played. The board isdivided into a plurality .of bounded playing spaces or areas as at I, 2,3, 4, etc., and some one hundred and forty one spaces or areas more orless are required to play a four handed game. Twenty of the spaces orareas are free or open to the players and are positioned in the centerof the board. Each set of five free playing spaces is positioned onopposite sides of diagonal boundary lines in the center of the board.

In the center of the playing fields are two lines B and C diagonallyarranged which bound the respective fields, and which are for thepurpose hereinafter explained.

Below the apices D, E,

F, and G, in each play- 2r ing field may be located a secondary boundaryline extending chevronwise as at H, I, J, and K, and which may be usedwhen two individuals are playing as hereinafter described.

The playing squares or areas are designated by in the drawing in It isto be understood however that the color scheme may be varied as desired.

The cross-shaped area of the playing field contains forty-five playingspaces, and the trapezoidal areas adjacent thereto twenty-four playingspaces each.

Each player is Figure 1.

alloted 15, more or less, playing pieces which may be of any preselectedcolour, and when a. game is played by four the moves are similar tothose made in a game of draughts, with the exception however, that themovement of the playing pieces is made at right angles to the playersonly, in other words a player must not cross into his partner's field.

When a game is played by two individuals only, it is played as in anordinary game of draughts, with the exception however,.that only onehalf of the playing fields are used, that is playing fields at rightangles to the players are only to be used, and not an aligned playingfield, or a playing field directly opposite to each player.

After the playing pieces are moved over the chevronwise line (if one isprovided), in its respective playing field, the playing pieces must beview of theplaying pieces, 5 y

manoeuvered on the board in a forward direction and over into theopponents field, but must not cross the diagonal line separating theunused playing fields on the board. The players as in draughts orcheckers move their playing pieces alternately and endeavor to taketheir opponents pieces on the board as in an ordinary game of checkersor draughts.

The game of checkers well known as French checkers may be likewiseplayed on the board.

The playing fields may be diversely coloured so that respectivecontestants will recognize their own territory. The playing pieces maylikewise be coloured for the purpose 01' identification, or may becoloured to match the playing field, or otherwise.

While I have herein shown and described one example oi! my invention, itwill be readily understood that changes and modifications therein may befound desirable or essential in meeting the various exigencies of use,and I desire to be understood as reserving the right to make any and allsuch changes or modifications as may be found desirable or essential, inso far as the same may fall within the ,spirit and scope of theinvention as expressed in the accompanying claims when broadlyconstrued.

Having thus described claim is l. A four man checker board, comprising,an inner cross shaped area having four arms, the said area being dividedinto a plurality of alternate checkered subdivisio each arm of the crosscontaining three spaces and two non-playing spaces, tour trapezoidalareas each containing a plurality of alternate checkered subdivisionsJoined to the arms of the cross, two of the playing spaces in eachtrapezoidal area adjoining the two non-playing spaces in the arms of thecross, and playing pieces for playing the game.

2. A four man checker board as claimed in my invention, what I claim 1wherein diagonal lines are provided in the cross shaped area anddividing the cross into four sections, each section containing threeplaying spaces and one non-playing space adjacent to the spaces in thearms.

EDWARD JOSEPH BOLAND.

